After returning home, Chiba fell into a deep sleep, then—as usual—dove straight into his relentless training routine.
Basic physical drills, followed by his signature combo: Eight Gates + Hand Seals + Ninjutsu.
By the time he was done, his stamina was completely drained. Again.
Once more, his Monster Strength training got pushed aside.
Still, since they were scheduled to meet their jōnin-sensei tomorrow, Chiba decided not to overdo it. After dinner, he went to bed early.
When dawn broke, Chiba woke up on time for once—feeling unusually refreshed.
He cracked the window open, taking a deep breath of the crisp morning air.
Then a thought struck him.
How exactly was their jōnin-sensei going to contact them?
He froze.
Now that he thought about it, yesterday when their academy teacher had arranged the seating, he had never actually received any kind of notification. It was only because Hirohiko and Yukina had sat down beside him that he'd learned anything at all.
"Feels like a trap waiting to spring…"
Chiba chuckled bitterly.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something odd—right below his window.
A kunai was stuck into the ground, a scrap of paper tied to it fluttering in the morning breeze.
He instinctively leapt back.
A kunai with a paper tag? That screamed explosive tag!
Was it an ambush? Maybe one of that missing-nin's comrades had come to take revenge?
But... nothing exploded.
After a long second of silence broken only by the wind and rustling paper, Chiba frowned, stepped forward cautiously, and peeked out the window.
The kunai had a plain sheet of paper tied to it. No sealing script, no explosion marks—just handwriting.
He let out a breath of relief and leaned down to pick it up.
"Today, 11 a.m. — Meet at Konoha Gate."
That was it. Short and to the point.
So this was their team summons.
He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only 7:20.
Plenty of time. I can squeeze in morning training.
After washing up and scarfing down a Konoha Jumbo Bun, he launched into his usual routine:
500 Side Kicks
500 Straight Punches
500 Deep Squats
500 Push-ups
Instead of the standard 10-kilometer run, he opted for a cold shower, then changed into a clean outfit.
Checked the time again—10:45 a.m.
Perfect.
"Let's see what kind of jōnin we're getting…" he mused aloud, stepping out the door.
Would it be Namikaze Minato?
Probably not. Last he heard, Minato already had Kakashi's team under him.
"Shame. If it was him, I could've tried to sneak a peek at the Flying Thunder God Technique..."
He walked leisurely through the village, thoughts drifting toward the future.
In this world, a good teacher could make or break a ninja's path.
Sasuke had learned the A-rank Chidori from Kakashi.
Naruto, the Rasengan from Jiraiya.
Even Lee, under Might Guy, had unlocked the Eight Gates and become a powerhouse.
A strong sensei could unlock a student's full potential.
If only I could get a teacher like that...
He turned a corner.
Ahead of him, an elderly woman was thanking a boy with goggles and a sunny smile.
"Thanks, young man!"
"No worries, Grandma! I've gotta run!" the boy beamed as he dashed off, his voice fading as he muttered:
"I'm gonna be sooo late!"
Chiba watched the boy's back disappear into the crowd.
That was... Obito?
A surreal feeling hit him again.
Even after so long, every time he encountered a major character from the original story, he'd get this weird sense of dissonance.
It just didn't feel real.
Then suddenly—realization hit him like a kunai to the gut.
"Wait... I'M late too!"
By the time Chiba arrived at the village gate, it was 10 minutes past their meeting time.
Sure enough, Hirohiko and Yukina were already there, waiting.
And so was someone else.
A stunning woman with long, vibrant red hair, arms crossed and brow furrowed in irritation.
That's our jōnin?!
Her face was vaguely familiar... but what made Chiba freeze wasn't her beauty.
It was the invisible pressure in the air.
She looked seriously pissed.
Hirohiko, as always, wore his blank, unreadable expression.
Yukina stood quietly by his side, face calm.
But the red-haired jōnin? Her hair was starting to float upward unnaturally, and a fist was already clenching.
If I walk up like this... she's definitely gonna deck me.
Time for an excuse.
Chiba's brain raced.
Then, as he broke into a jog toward them, he threw up a hand and grinned:
"Good morning, everyone! I, uh, got lost... on the road of life!"
"THWACK!"
Before he could finish, a glowing red fist smashed into his forehead, raising a large smoking lump in an instant.
"OW OW OW!!"
Chiba dropped to a crouch, clutching his head.
That punch was no joke.
As if she'd vented all her anger in that one blow, the red-haired woman turned back toward the other two with a bright, sunny smile.
"Now that everyone's here," she said sweetly, "time to introduce myself! I'm your jōnin instructor—Uzumaki Kushina!"
Chiba's head snapped up in shock.
Wait… WHAT?!
The Uzumaki Kushina?
Naruto's mom?
Fourth Hokage's wife?
The Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki?!
The sealing expert whose name alone made enemies tremble?
That Kushina?!
Standing behind her, Chiba's eyes widened further. The hair. The voice. The chakra presence.
No mistake.
Yup… that's her.
Wait. Hold on a second.
Wasn't she only a chūnin in the original story?
She's allowed to take on a genin team? What about A-rank jutsu? My dreams of Rasengan and Flying Thunder God… they're all flying away like pigeons!
"Alright, let's start with introductions," Kushina said, turning around.
"You first," she said to Chiba.
"Takikawa Chiba."
"Uchiha Hirohiko."
"Hyūga Yukina."
One after the other, the three replied in perfectly flat tones.
Kushina's eye twitched.
Three solemn little faces. One blank, one serious, one deep in thought.
Absolutely no social energy.
This is... the gloom trio!
She'd been hoping they'd open up and get to know each other, but nope—this was more like a mission briefing than a team introduction.
"Haah…" She sighed.
But then, her warm smile returned.
"Well then! Since we've all met, how about sensei takes you out for a treat? What do you guys want to eat?"
"Barbecue!"
All three said it in perfect unison.
Kushina's eye twitched again.
Even that's in sync?!
Her smile twitched, lips curling awkwardly.
"Great! We're going to Ichiraku Ramen!"
Chiba opened his mouth. "Wait, but we said—"
One glare from Kushina shut him up.
Recalling the pain of that punch, he cleared his throat. "I mean—Ramen's great. I love Ichiraku."
"Yeah," Hirohiko nodded.
"Very famous," Yukina added flatly.
Kushina's smile returned, satisfied.
"Alright then—Sensei's treating today. Let's go!"
As they followed, the three exchanged a silent thought:
Our new teacher… seems kind of dangerous.